Overview

Octopus Hug by Laurence Pringle, Kate Palmer

When Mom goes out for the evening, Becky and Jesse start to bicker. But then Dad gives them an octopus hug, and the house is soon rocking with laughter. An octopus hug is just one of the silly games in Larry Pringle's story that celebrates the special delight children feel when they engage in horseplay with their dads. Kate Salley Palmer's energetic text illustrations, practically reach out and draw the reader into the fun. Here's a book the whole family can enjoy.

About the Author

Laurence Pringle has written more than sixty highly acclaimed books for children, mostly books about nature and the environment. He lives in West Nyack, New York.

Kate Salley Palmer is a children's author and illustrator as well as a political cartoonist. She lives in Clemson, South Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

The imaginative antics that tumble across these pages could constitute a manual for bored baby-sitters. When Jesse and Becky's mother goes out for the evening, it's up to Dad to dissipate their disgruntlement. ``Do you know what an octopus hug is?'' he asks, then demonstrates his all-encompassing hug. Kicking off an evening filled with his special repertoire of games, the ever-grinning Dad, resembling O. J. Simpson with his massive size and lantern jaw, offers to become a tree for climbing, a mechanical horse for riding, a spirited rocking chair, etc. Palmer ( How Many Feet in the Bed ) interprets the festivities rather literally in her soft colored-pencil illustrations; her characters' happy expressions seem plastered onto their faces. And while the book succeeds in presenting an African American father in a warm and engaging role, the one-dimensional, all-action story may leave some readers feeling as if they are simply sitting on the sidelines. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 2-A celebration of family roughhousing and imaginative play. Becky and Jesse are left with their father while their mother goes out for the evening. They are out of sorts at first, until Dad demonstrates an octopus hug. This leads to a series of active games, such as ``timber,'' in which the youngsters climb on the man's shoulders and he pretends to be a falling tree (letting them land on soft cushions); ``left out toys,'' in which the siblings pretend to be toys and he carries them into their rooms and drops them on their beds; and ``monster,'' in which he pretends to capture them and they escape. This is the kind of physical fun children delight in, but that might cause cautious adults to shudder. Here, the presentation is positive and young listeners will beg their fathers to play the same games. The illustrations, depicting a burly African-American father and his joyous son and daughter, add to the lively feeling of the text. A good choice for Father's Day story times.-Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ